Friday, March 6, 2015

Review: It Will Always Be You by Tina Ness

It Will Always Be You is the first book in Tina Ness's You Series. This is her debut novel, so I wasn't sure what exactly to expect with this one. While there were things that I liked, there were other things that I had some issues with. This book was good, but it just wasn't great. I found myself annoyed with the heroine and bored at times with the story.

Elizabeth has wanted Marshall Roderick since she first saw him. But every time he comes into her hotel to stay, she turns into a shy mess unable to talk to him. Then Elizabeth begins to get to know Marshall and finds out that he is different than she had first thought. Elizabeth and Marshall start spending time together, but then a horrible attack happens that shakes them both up. As Marshall's past is revealed, Elizabeth and Marshall must figure out if they can move past it together, or if it will tear them apart.

I liked Marshall. He was a good guy that was struggling. It was clear that he wanted to move forward with his life and was feeling things for Elizabeth that he hadn't expected. He wanted to see where things with her were going and he felt drawn to her, but he also wasn't sure he was ready for more. I liked that he was so sweet and thoughtful with her, and he had no problems apologizing when he needed to. Elizabeth on the other hand was my biggest problem in this story. She was whiny and annoying, and acted far younger than her age. She was so fixated on Marshall, yet then she would behave like a teenage girl with her first crush around him. She couldn't talk to him, and when he does talk to her she even collapsed at one point. It was just over the top, and I didn't enjoy it at all. She was always thinking about Marshall and how dreamy he was, and it was literally as if she was obsessed with him. I wasn't feeling the connection between them so much at first, because it all seemed so one sided. While they did have chemistry and I could see them getting there down the road, it all just felt rushed and unrealistic.

I also thought that the big violent event wasn't nearly as big as the blurb made it out to be, and this story didn't ever really seem to go anywhere. There just really wasn't a lot to the plot, and it was pretty predictable and easily forgotten when finished. I did like Elizabeth's best friend and her sister, and I loved the support and encouragement that she received from them. Those relationships were definitely the high points of this book, and I found myself enjoying their interactions more than the romance in this story. Tina Ness is working on a second book in this series, Before There Was You, which seems to focus on Marshall and his POV. I am not sure if I will read it or not. While I did like Marshall and would be interested in his story, I am not sure there is enough there to have a whole other book about. Especially if it is this book just rehashed. I think that some contemporary fans will enjoy this book and if it sounds like something you might like, it might be worth giving a shot. It wasn't a bad read, I just had trouble connecting with the heroine and feeling the connection between her and Marshall.